Keep the Arts
When school budgets are in danger of being cut, the subjects that suffer the most are typically the arts. I remember my high school experience in the early 90′s when budget deficits loomed; the arts were on the chopping block then, too. Fortunately, I attended a performing arts magnet high school, so my programs were safe. But, that wasn’t true for many other students then, and it’s certainly not true for students now- even those attending special schools.
An example from Orange County, Florida (reported in the Orlando Sentinel):
Students at Orange County’s poorer elementary schools are less likely to be taught art or music than those at schools that are better off, a new countywide study shows.
The fear is that such a discrepancy will grow as school budgets are slashed.
Another from South Washington County, Minnesota (reported in the Star Tribune):
Under Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s budget proposal, state funding for the Golden Valley arts school and arts education center would be drastically cut, then eliminated. The school would be downscaled from a state agency to a much less ambitious charter school, which could save the state $4.5 million a year.
And in Los Angeles, California (reported in the LA Times):
The Los Angeles school district has suspended a key arts program because of a spending freeze, a sign of what may be ahead for the state’s largest district, which is facing a serious budget shortfall.
Eliminating arts education should not be a viable option when districts face tough times. They are an integral part of a well-rounded education. According to an Education Week article about the report Transforming Education through the Arts Challenge, “making the arts a central part of the curriculum, and teaching the subject with the same rigor as math or science, not only can improve arts learning, but also can bolster other efforts to improve schools, an evaluation of a major arts pilot program concludes.”
I sincerely hope that districts and states reassess their priorities, and rethink fixing their budget challenges by eliminating the arts. The arts are not superfluous.
Laura
Tags: arts_education